Mariam Malak is an Egyptian student who has worked hard all her life to earn top grades in all subjects. Indeed, this star pupil has enjoyed a long history of receiving high marks in her educational studies. Imagine the shock Mariam Malak felt as she checked the ranking of grades from this summer and learned that she had received zero marks in all seven areas tested.
The only thing worse than denying a girl access to an education, is deliberately failing her and stealing her marks! #MariamMalak
— Julia Flanagan (@JulesFlanagan) September 7, 2015
According to BBC, Mariam Malak has earned nearly perfect marks for years. High schooler Malak is known as one of Egypt’s top performing students, so how could she have received absolutely no points in a range of seven different areas tested?
That’s what she would like to know.
“I was completely shocked. I couldn’t hear anyone, I couldn’t speak. I thought how can that happen? How can I get zero?”
Mariam expected her grades to be near the top as usual, and failing that, her marks should at least be high enough for her to be accepted to medical school. When Malak saw that her marks were not listed at the top, but at the very bottom, she was so shocked she fainted.
A zero grade means that each question on the exam was either answered incorrectly, or not answered at all. The difference is so drastic it is easy to believe that the exams credited to Mariam Malak were certainly not her own. Furthermore, the Egyptian Ministry of Education made Mariam take five handwriting tests, which they claim prove the exams are hers.
However, the Mirror reports that Mariam Malak took a handwriting test on live television to prove that the exams with the zero marks were not hers. It was apparent that the handwriting on the tests did not match Mariam’s own.
At first, the Malak family believed Mariam was being discriminated against due to her Coptic Christian faith, but now it seems more likely that corruption within the educational system is to blame. Mina Malak spoke out in defense of his sister.
“Either the school or the examination board swapped her papers with another pupil who obviously wasn’t doing as well.
We believe in God’s justice and the law and watching the support and solidarity we’ve been receiving from people gives us a bit of reassurance. We want an impartial and transparent committee to reopen the investigation and redo her handwriting test… we will continue until we do justice by Mariam.”
This certainly seems like a reasonable request. Many supporters have joined the Malak cause on Twitter at #IBelieveMariamMalak.
Poor Mariam. The Egyptian education system needs to sort itself out! Stay strong girl! ???? #ibelievemariammalak
— Katie Benn (@katie_benn) September 7, 2015
#MariamMalak no Justice for young women. Move out, come to a country that welcomes intelligence.
— DeWayne 52 (@GonzalesGregory) September 6, 2015
Mariam Malak and her family continue to fight this injustice.
[Image via Shutterstock]
